Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-14
(Costinsed mon yessesdsyj
DARING AND SUFFERING.
A History Of the Andrews Railroad
Raid Into Georgia in 1862.
CHAPTER XIV.

The sunerfngs Of northern prisoners In
the south constitutes probably the most
terrible chapter in the history Of the war.
Attempts To soften the fearful story have
met with slight ruecess- The lot OF the
prisoner Of war Is always deplorable, as
accommodations are scanty and the hard
ships Of camp life greatly aggravated
Bnt the Union prisoners in the south
suffered more than is usual in military
prisons The southern states were
sIenderIy supplied with means for the
care OF bodies Of troops numbered by
thousands. the northern armies were
pressing severely and tightening the
blockade by sea and land with the express
design Of depriving them Of necessaries
for prosecuting the war, and in case Of
scarcity IL was natural that northern
prisoners would first suffer. But to this
was added a terribly bitter feeling, which
sometimes found delight in grafuitously
ernbittering the prisoners lot. The hor-
rors Of Andersonvfile cannot sooa be
palliated or forgotten.
But the sufferings OF ordinary prisoners
was far exceeded in the case Of the An
drews raiders. Our leader had been
trusted by the enemy and had betrayed
them. We had inflicted an amount Of
fright altogether disproportionate to our
numbers, and we were now believed to be
beyond the protection Of the laws Of war,
and almost beyond the pale Of humanity.
IL was thought that We were selected for
our desperate character and therefore
would require an extraordinary amount
If guarding 10 prevent us from escaping
or doing further injury Such considera-
tons no doubt had weight in the minds
Of our captors.
But these alone are not sufficient 10 ex-
plain the story that follows. have hest
tated In regard TO telling it at all; but
there is at least one good reason for re-
cording all that the proprieties Of lam
guage will permit-a reason which also
goes far TO account for the full horrors
experienced. Nothing better shows the
spirit Of the institution Of slavery, and
the debasng effect II produces on the
master class Those In whose power we
now fell had been used to seeing men,
women aud children publicly sold whip
ped hunted with dogs, or shut up like
wild bensts In dens With such expert
enees they would not be likely to care
much for the sufferngs OF enemies, whom
they had come TO regard as the friends OF
the enslaycd race Accordingly it is in
the negro prisons that our band found
their most fearful experiences.
The story Of the little, old, Chattanooga
prison cannot be fully told Terrible
hardships which had to be lived through
In agones of shuddering disgust, and in
utterly helpless disregard Of the decencies
OF life--a daily and unceasng combina-
ton Of pain and loathing-can hardly be
told by one friend to another, much less
spread on the cold printed page The
reader will remember that for every pain
full thing related, a dozen more are be-
hind which dare no! be named Let it
bc understood that there is no exaggera.
ton Photographic accuracy, within the
limits already indicated, is aimed at. ~
This worst of all the prisons has long
since been swept away; but it's memory
will never grow faint while one Of its
hapless victims survives. The story rests
not alone on my evidence, but is estab-
lished 10y sworn testimony published in
the war records.
The captain, who was appointed my
conductor, called guard of eight men
and led me for some distance through the
streets Of Chattanooga. Two Of tie Con
federate soldiers linked arms with me,
one on each side, two walked in front
and four followed behind. could not
help telling the captain that they took
better care Of our men than we did OF
theirs; that had once guarded a Georgian
n long distance without any help, and
with no handouts on him. He did not
resent the implied reproach, only saying
that they meant to make sure Of mel At
length we came 10 little brick building,
surrounded by high board fence. II
stood, as | learned long afterward, on
Lookout street between Fourth and Fifth.
The ground sloped rapidly upward so that
the back of the Jail was built into the hill
while the front was level with the sur
face Of the ground. The Jail Ind two
stories with two rooms in each story, 1t
was quite high for its length and breadth.
The jailer and family lived in the upper
and lower rooms at the north end, and
the rooms Mt the south were the prisons,
the lower being entered only from the
upper, ana that in turn only from the
jaiier's room This prison when built
was intended for the accommodation Of
negroes by their humane owners. An
other and much larger prison, in which
were confined the great majority of white
offenders and asterward of war prisoners,
was situated on Fourth and Market
streets.
Swims, the iailer, was peculiar char
acter He was old, perhaps 60, with
abundant white hair, and a dry and with
cred face. His voice was always keyed
on whining tone, except when some
great cause. such rs the requests of pris-
oners for an extra bucket cf water,
aroused his ire, when IL rose to hoarse
scream. Avarice was a strong trait He
seemed to think his accommodations
vastly too good for negroes and "Yan-
KEGS and that when admitted to his
hospitality they should be thankful and
give rs little trouble rs possible. With
such notions it is easily seen how much
he could add to the sufferings of prison
ers One thing favorable was that he
was fond Of dram and when INDUCING
became very laxative, revealing many
things that we could not otherwise have
learned
We halted for a moment at the camp
fire of the guard outside the gate; then
Swims came out, grumbling about their
being disturbed SO much, and, unlocking
the gate, admitted us We crossed the
yard, assembled the long outside stairway,
aud from an outside landing entered the
bedroom From this door opened into
the prison. The room was quite small,
square, and entirely destitute of furniture
of any kind except a long ladder. which
lay on the floor. There were five or six
old, miserable looking men in the room,
whose clothes hung in tatters. and who
presented terribly starved, dirty and
wretched appearance. 1t was a dreadful
place, and shuddered at the idea OF TAX
ing up my abode in such 4 den. But l
soon found | was not to be SO highly
favored and n little more experience was
sufficient to make me look almost with
envy unon these old men.
Said the jailer to the captain: Where
shall pu. him.
Below, OF course" was the prompt
reply.